Muting device for musical instruments



Feb. 1, 1955 M. PANCOTTI 7 2,700,913

MUTING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Dec. 23, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. MAE/0 PA/VCO 7' 77 BYMMJ w ATTOE/VEKS Feb. 1, 1955 Filed Dec. 23, 1950 M. PANCOTTI MUTING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MfiZ/O p/M CUTT/ MM M2911.

United States Patent MUTIN G DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Mario Pancotti, Bronxville, N. Y.

Application December 23, 1950, Serial No. 202,554

' 6 Claims. ((11. 84-376) This invention relates to a muting device for musical instruments, and more particularly to an adjustable tone modulating and muting device for piano accordions and similar types of wind instruments.

An object of the present invention is to provide a piano accordion having a manually operable and removable muting device adapted to modulate and control the tone emanating from the accordion while it is being played.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an easily adjustable unitary muting frame made of nonresonant material which is used in an accordion to modulate the tones emanating therefrom.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and economically made and regulable sandwich type of tone modulation device for accordions and the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a manually operable tone modulating device for use in piano accordions and like instruments, to be placed over the reeds and valves adjacent the keyboard of the accordion.

One further object of the present invention is to provide a compact sandwich type of tone modulating device for a piano accordion, and the like, for selectively controlling the tonal qualities of an accordion to mute and improve the tones emanating therefrom during its use.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the hereinfollowing detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmental perspective, partially brokenaway, view of a piano accordion including, in partially broken-away view, a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of my invention as used in a piano accordion of the type such as that partially shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental broken-away view of a section of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 showing the device in closed condition;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the device in open condition; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in which similar reference characters denote like parts throughout, it will be noted that I show in Fig. 1, a fragmental portion of a typical accordion 10 with a keyboard 11 having black and white keys 12 and 13, respectively. It will be noted from the drawings that keyboard 11 extends outwardly of the longitudinal axis of the accordion at an angle of about degrees. Said black and white keys 12 and 13, respectively, operate the reeds 14 which are mechanlcally connected thereto in the usual manner and which cover the air valves 15. Said accordion 10 is provided with an ornamental removable grill 16 of any fanciful type depending upon the taste of the manufacturer of the accordion.

Disposed intermediate said grill 16 and the reeds and air valves 14 and 15, respectively, there is provided my new type of tone modulating device 17 which can be fixed to the body of the accordion 10 in any suitable place and manner, for example, by means of screw members 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, respectively, extending through said device 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Said muting device comprises an upper and lower grill member 23 and 24, respectively, which are relatively spaced with respect to each other and are adapted to accommodate an intermediate reciprocable slide damper or shutter plate 25. It will be noted that said upper and lower grill and shutter plate are superimposed horizontally of each other to form a sandwich type of frame construction as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. Said device 17 is provided at its upper longitudinal marginal edge with a felt member 26 extending upwardly at an incline therefrom for resting against the ends of keys 12 and 13 of keyboard 11, while the lower longitudinal or marginal edge 27 is inclined outwardly and downwardly toward the body of the accordion 10. Said members 23, 24 and 25 are each provided with similar and corresponding rows 28, 29, 30 and 31, respectively, of openings 32, 33, 34 and 35, respectively which are adapted to fit over the respective reeds and air valves or" the accordion and which are adapted to correspond in number therewith. It will be noted that the openings 32 are of the same size and shape, while those in rows 29 and 30 are progressively larger. On the other hand, the openings 35 in row 31 are narrower but longer. It is apparent that the arrangement of the spaced rows 28, 29, 30 and 31 and the openings 32, 33, 34, and 35 in grill members 23 and 24 provides for proper and normal unobstructed flow of tone or sound volume emanating from the bellows through the valves 15' of the accordion 10. This arrangement can be varied with the arrangement of the air valves and reeds of the particular type of accordion made.

Lower grill member 24 has an end portion 36 extending outwardly to the right thereof, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 of the drawing so as to act as a rest for the extensible end 36 of slide or shutter plate 25. In order to operate or reciprocate said shutter plate 25, I provide a slide rod 37 mounted on member 23 and held with respect thereto by means of spaced screw members 20, 21 and 22. It will be further noted that rod 37 has a plurality of slots or longitudinal openings 38, 39 and 40, respectively, to permit longitudinal movement of the rod 37 on said screw members 20, 21 and 22, respectively. Attached to one end of said rod 37, in the present instance, the right end as shown in the drawings, there is provided a downwardly extending arm 41 which forms the end part of the shutter plate 36 and pivoted thereto by means of pin 41. It will be noted that the upper end of said arm 41 has a slot to accommodate a pin 4111, thereby allowing for a loose or toggle movement of said arm 41 on pivot 41a. Pivoted to said arm 41 is a lever arm 42 extending inwardly on the face of member 23 for pivotal connection to a rocker arm 43 which is pivoted at its center 44 in any suitable manner to frame member 23. The other or lower end 45 of said rocker arm 43 is in turn pivotally connected to a side slide arm 46 which is connected in any suitable manner to the extending right lower portion 47 of intermediate shutter plate 25. There is also provided from slide arm 46 a downwardly extending arm 48 which is fixedly connected by a pivot 46 to arm 46 for reciprocating intermediate downwardly inclined member 49 disposed in end 27. Said intermediate member 49 forms part of slide or shutters 25 and is provided with a pin 50 which loosely fits in slot 51 thereby permitting a free movement at said lower end near pin 50.

lide rod 37 is provided with a knob or similar member 52 for manipulating said slide rod 37 and thereby impart to members 41, 42, 43, 46, 47 and 48 the desired translatory movement of the same so as to operate the intermediate shutter plate 25 with its extending strip 49, It will be noted that by the selective operation of knob 52 in either direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 2 that a series of forces is imparted by leverage means to the shutter plate 25 whereby the shutter is used to close openings 32. 33. 34 and 35 in rows 28, 29, 30 and 31 to any desired extent, thus controlling the volume of sound or music emanating from the air valves of the accordion. In this manner the operator of the accordion can obtain any desired modulation in the tones emanating from the accordion by merely adjusting the shutter over the openings 32, 33, 34 and 35.

A device made according to my invention is compact, easy to assemble and attach to the accordion Without causing damage or change in the construction of the accordion. Furthermore, the device is of relatively simple but effective construction and can be readily replaced if necessary by merely removing the grill 16 of the accordion. The outer members 23 and 24 may be made of wood or plastic while the shutter 25 is preferably made of metal although I am not limited to the same.

While I have shown a preferred form of tone modulator for accordions, it will be understood that various modifications as to form, use of materials and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A removable tone modulator for a piano accordion comprising a double layered spaced grill frame having a plurality of superimposed successively spaced longitudinally arranged openings corresponding with the treble valves of the accordion, a felt strip extending angularly from one of the grill edges, a manually operable slidable member sandwiched between the grill frame having substantially the same shape as the grill and having openings corresponding with those of the grill, said members being adapted to cover the spaced openings to modulate the tones emanating from the accordion, and leverage linkage means in connection with the slidable member for actuating the same, said frame having a felt strip extending at an incline from the top edge thereof, and an inclined extension at the other edge thereof containing a plurality of successive horizontal openings.

2. A device for modulating the tones emanating from the valves of an accordion, comprising a frame having a plurality of superimposed spaced members each of corresponding size and provided with a plurality of rows of openings conforming with the openings of the valves of the accordion, a plate member disposed intermediate the members having a shape substantially corresponding with the members and provided with corresponding openings, and manually operable leverage means adapted to slide said plate member intermediate the spaced members and across the openings of the spaced members to control the volume of the sound passing through said openings, said frame having a felt strip extending at an incline from the top edge thereof, and an inclined extension at the other edge thereof containing a plurality of successive horizontal openings.

3. A device for modulating the tones emanating from the valves of an accordion, comprising a sandwich frame having a plurality of superimposed spaced members each of corresponding size and provided with a plurality of rows of openings conforming with the openings of the valves of the accordion, a felt strip extending angularly from one edge of said members, a plate member disposed intermediate the members having a shape substantially corresponding with the members and provided With corresponding openings, and manually operable leverage means on the top member in connection with the intermediate plate member adapted to slide said plate member across the openings of the spaced members to control the volume of the sound passing through said openings.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which the spaced members are provided with an acutely angled extension strip having relatively narrow openings disposed therein intermediate the openings of the superimposed spaced members, and the plate member is bent relatively of the extension strip to cover said openings.

5. A device for modulating the tones emanating from the valves of an accordion, comprising a frame having a plurality of rows of parallel superimposed openings, each row having openings of correspondingly different size conforming with the openings of the valves of the accordion, a downwardly extending strip on one of the marginal edges of said frame having narrow openings therein disposed intermediate the vertical axis of the openings in the frame, a plate member and strip disposed above the frame having a shape substantially corresponding with the frame, and manually operable leverage means extending along the frame to the plate member and strip adapted to slide said plate member and strip across the openings of the spaced members to control the volume of the sound passing through said openings.

6, A device according to claim 5, in which the leverage means comprises a slide arm member above the frame, a rocker arm pivotally operable by said slide member, and a pivotal arm in connection with the rocker arm fixed to slidable plate member, said arms being intercon' nected to operate on actuation of said plate member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,377,093 Rabuazzo May 3, 1921 1,849,319 Sebastinelli Mar. 15, 1932 2,043,060 Rabuazzo June 2, 1936 2,297,032 Stahl Sept. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 165,012 Austria Jan. 10, 1950 699,461 Germany Nov. 29, 1940 234,809 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1945 

